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The kidnapper literally strolled out of the unit pushing Aspen, and not one person realized the man was not a hospital employee.
“We’re going to need a hospital emergency team on standby.” Mac’s voice pulled Declan from his thoughts. Mac, as always, was in charge of the SWAT team and barking orders to everyone who was going to be a part of this rescue.
“We’ll be ready. The Emergency Room is ready, and we even have an operating room freed, just in case it will be needed,” a physician answered.
A team of highly trained medical individuals stood off to the side, waiting.
Since the news had broken in the hospital that they not only had a missing patient but a potential hostage situation, it had gone on lockdown.
“And you have evacuated everyone from that area?” Mac asked, turning to Bob.
Declan would have to give the hospital security team credit for allowing the police force to take control of the situation. This was not a normal occurrence of an unruly patient or family member they were used to dealing with.
No.
Men like this were much more dangerous.
They were killers.
“Where he took her is what we call the catacombs. It’s the underworking belly of the hospital. Shipping and receiving is down there, and the boiler rooms.” Bob brought out the blueprints of the basement. He spread them out on the table before them. “Right now, their only exit out of the hospital without coming back up to the main floor would be through the delivery doors.”
“Squad cars are down there now, blocking them. They are trapped,” Iker announced, disconnecting a call on his cell phone.
“Any other exit they can use besides the shipping docks?” Declan asked. His gaze roamed the blueprints, and he memorized the area where Aspen was being held.
“Yes. The catacombs run along the hospital. They could come out this side and be near the Pine Street entrance.” Bob’s finger slid along the prints and tapped an exit point. “There’s a staircase that leads to an emergency exit.”
“We’ll need to have that exit covered—” Mac was interrupted by Ashton.
“Mac, we have a problem. The feds are outside.” Ashton pulled his phone away from his ear and let loose a curse. “They are demanding to speak to the officer in charge.”
Mac’s gaze flew to Declan, and he already knew what Mac was thinking. Mac didn’t have the best relationship with the feds. He and a federal agent had clashed when it came to the SWAT team rescuing Sarena during her ordeal. It would be best if that agent never showed his face again in Columbia.
“Who is asking?” Declan asked. He already knew he was on a short circuit and wouldn’t be the best person to act as liaison between SWAT and the feds either.
“Someone named Agent Turner.” Ashton shrugged.
“Fine. But he better not get in our way.” Mac turned back to the blueprints with the team surrounding him.
Ashton began quietly speaking into his phone.
“We’ll enter from the shipping dock. It will give us more room, and we’ll not be in a funnel trying to enter from the basement. We don’t have time for negotiations. We’re going in hot.”
Declan was focused on the prints and had officially memorized them.
“Hey! We got video down there. The cameras picked up on men down in the shipping dock,” one of the hospital security guards announced. He brought over a laptop and set it down beside the blueprints.
“Show me,” Declan demanded, moving next to the guard.
His team crowded around him with Mac standing next to him. The guard tapped a few commands on the computer and brought up the video. Declan’s stomach clenched when he saw exactly who had his woman.
Ray Acosta.
“How the hell did he make it all the way from a California prison to here? There’s been a countrywide manhunt for him?” Ashton asked.
“Who the hell knows. Better question is: how did he know Aspen was alive?” Iker responded.
Murmurs went around at his words.
